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Abstract Renal insufficiency is defined as a reduction of glomerular filtration rate, while renal failure is a degree of insufficiency causing substantial alteration in plasma biochemistr~(~>. Renal failure is said to be acute where the kidneys are damaged suddenly and severely over days or weeks, or chronic if it spans months or years. Acute on top of chronic renal failure is a rapid reduction in glomerular filtration rate in a patient with previouly stable chronic renal failure. Uraemia (urine in blood) is an old term which has been used to describe the whole syndrome associated with renal failure. Management of renal insufficiency varies from medical control of uraemia, dialysis or transplantation. Every patient with renal failure should be considered a potential candidate for regular dialysis and/or transplantation. Two methods are used to sustain life in the face of the end-stage renal failure. The first is to transplant a healthy kidney from an appropriate donor. When successful. it offers a natural solution to kidney failure. The alternative is dialysis, the artificial system for cleansing the blood and restoring chemical and water balance to the bodyC2) |